15 Truths About Shinigami
by een nihc
Summary: The title explains itself. Gin, Retsu, Aizen, Byakuya, Komamura, Shunsui, Tousen, Toushiro, Zaraki, MAYURI
1. Gin

Standard disclaimer : I do not own Bleach.

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15 Truths About Shinigami

Chapter 1 : Gin

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1. Gin liked his name because he didn't have to worry about forgetting it. Everyone else would remember it for him.

2. Nothing amused him more than watching the reaction of others whenever he introduced himself. Their expressions were priceless. Another reason why he liked his name.

3. Few people knew that he was named after his hair colour which was silver.

4. But if his hair caught the sunlight in the right angles, one would notice that his hair actually shone in purple tint.

5. Gin always smiles because he knew that a smile can hide a thousand secrets, not to mention it hides his eyes perfectly as well when they arched in happy curves as he smiled.

6. His facial muscles often sour from the constant smile he plastered on his face but he kept smiling or else his face would sag like a bulldog.

7. Gin never owned any mirrors. He knew how he looked like well enough without them.

8. Besides the fear he saw reflected in other shinigamis' eyes satisfied him. They were his mirrors.

9. Gin had considered doing a facial plastic surgery before to fix that smile on his face permanently but he chickened out last minute because... Rangiku would kill him if she found out about this.

10. On second thought, she might not kill him but avenged him instead by doing the boob-shrunk surgery herself. Then all the male shinigami in Soul Society would hunt his head and kill him over and over again. Gin shuddered at the mere thought of it. How fortunate he never did it.

11. Gin never told Rangiku where he got the food because he never wanted her to know how he got it - he sold his body to one of the pudgy "noble" man in exchange for the food.

12. He could eat to his heart content after that and even brought some back to Rangiku. He never lingered after he finished his business even though the man had offered him anything he wanted if he chose to stay.

13. He never told the man all he wanted was to come back to Rangiku. She was his home.

14. Aizen later killed that man and Gin became his underling ever since.

15. He never told Rangiku all these but instead he said, "I'm sorry." It was all that was left to say to her.

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A/N: I read some similar 20 truths LJ challenge stories in Naruto and they inspired me to write this. But I was too lazy. So I only came up with 15. Haha… 


	2. Retsu

Notes: I plan to write about every captain in this series. Maybe I'll write about vice-captains as well. Please let me know if you're interested to read them because I write to entertain myself and all those who read my stuff. If no one else is interested to read, I'll probably still write but I won't upload it any more.

Standard disclaimer : I do not own Bleach.

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15 Truths About Shinigami

Chapter 2 : Retsu

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1. Retsu never dreamt that she would become a shinigami one day, much less a captain level shinigami in her wildest dream. If someone had walked up to her and told her that she's going to become a great healer and a captain one day, she would probably walked away quickly, thinking that person was either insane or out of his or her mind.

2. In fact, she had every right to question that person's sanity. Retsu always falls sick during her childhood. She was delicate and fragile like her name suggested – a flower. She couldn't picture herself strong enough to claim all those positions.

3. Little Retsu used to be the target of bullies then because of her shy and timid appearance. They would taunt her and pull her braid until she broke down in tears. But little did they know this girl had strength and courage more than they ever knew, more than she ever realize.

4. One day, she finally had enough. She turned around and faced the bullies. Then she surprised everyone when she held out a pair of scissors and cut her braid right in front of them. "Now that I cut it, you won't have any braid to pull any more." Her voice was calm despite tears still glistening in her eyes. They never pick on her since.

5. That was when Retsu deduced that bullies are like stray dogs: the more you run, the more they pursue; but if you stand your ground (pretend to pick up pebbles to throw at them and such), they will turn and flee at once.

6. Retsu grew her hair long once more after that incident but this time she wore her braid in front.

7. Fortunately, her health got better with each passing years as she grew up. She later joined the Shinigami Academy and strived to become a good healer since.

8. Being a healer wasn't all sunshine and flowers as she discovered along the way. She had to deal with injured shinigamis who returned from battle against the Hollows. Sometimes they were dead. And they certainly weren't pretty sights. Burned flesh. Torn limbs. Laceration. And blood, lots of blood. It all boiled down to the fact that shinigamis weren't that much different from mortal, really.

8. Retsu eventually learned to handle life and death with equal calmness. She had seen it all yet contrary to what others believe, it didn't make her face death any easier than anyone else. But she faced it nonetheless because she knew the best thing one can do when death stares at you is to stare right back.

9. Her most remarkable quote was that she wouldn't mind drinking tea and talking to Death herself. It wasn't because of pride or smugness that she said that, but with understanding that few comprehend. Such were the rare qualities which made her the best healer in 4th squad

10. Retsu knew what she was and what she wasn't. She knew she was the best healer in the meantime but she wasn't invincible or irreplaceable. She knew she wasn't drop-dead beautiful but she walked with no lesser confidence.

11. Retsu loved to drink tisane (herbal tea). And her favourite would be ginger tea with a touch of honey. She would occasionally drink chamomile tea on extra-stressful day to relieve stress and anxiety.

12. Some nights, Retsu would sit at the porch and drink some tea while she reminisced about her past. Sometimes she would be alone and sometimes Isane would join her. Sometimes they talked and other times they didn't talk at all. It didn't really matter. She was glad someone was by her side at nights like this.

13. Retsu was the first who noticed something was not quite right with Aizen's death. She wasn't sure what it was but she hadn't earned herself the title of captain for nothing. That much she was certain of.

14. If someone asked who she would be if she wasn't a shinigami, she would probably smile and said that she'll never know.

15. If someone asked would she still choose to be who she was if she was given the chance to start all over again, she would probably answered, "Maybe." Because she was a practical girl and she knew she wouldn't live her life twice.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. This chapter was twice as long as the first because I really like Retsu and I think she deserves much more attention in Bleach. I made up her past and pretty much everything else but this was how I'd imagined she would be. Comments and constructive criticism are welcomed. 


	3. Aizen

Standard disclaimer : I do not own Bleach.

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15 Truths About Shinigami

Chapter 3 : Aizen

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1. Aizen can see perfectly well without his glasses. But he wore them anyway. It was just a tool to perfect his harmless, kind and gentle image.

2. His eyes are sharper than those who don't wear glasses. While others only see what lies in the present, he sees the future instead. And he saw that one day, he'll reach the heaven and everything and everyone else will be under his feet.

3. Aizen was an actor and master of illusion. His reputation was flawless – smart, charming, humble and kind. Of course having good looks helps too. Everyone loved him - teachers adored him, peers looked up to him and girls admired him. He was so good at it that sometimes he even forgot that he was merely acting it.

4. He knew he could've beaten Yamamoto sensei in shogi game if he wanted to but more often than not, he let the older man won the game. When he lost, he would promise to do better next time and said he still had much to learn from the older man. His sensei would smile in satisfaction and assured him he would one day beat him. When he did win, he would bow humbly and muttered it was out of pure luck that he won.

5. Aizen was well aware that someone was smarter than him – Urahara Kisuke, a true genius. But he also knew that even genius made mistakes. All he needed to do was to wait patiently for the precise time to strike when it happened. And he was right when he found out about Urahara's ingenious creation, Hougyoku.

6. Next he began his search for loyal underlings to secure his plans. Gin was his first choice because he saw the potential in the boy and the boy was so easy to manipulate. All he did was to lift a finger and killed a man and the boy followed him willingly ever since.

7. He only selected Tousen because of his blindness, not only physically but also mentally to his own sense of justice. And the blind was much easier to lead.

8. When Aizen first set his eyes on Kira, Hinamori and Renji, he knew right away they would be useful. What he didn't anticipate was Hinamori turned out to be his most useful pawn among the three.

9. That was why he had only kept her in his division while he transferred the other two to other divisions. He did it on purpose to weaken the strong bonding between them and he succeeded. The three friends eventually drifted apart and went on separate ways although they remained as friends.

10. Renji was Aizen's least favourite among the three because that boy was wild and untamed like a stray dog. And Aizen disliked the lack of compliance in him. He needed someone whom he could control and manipulate, not someone who had a mind of his own.

11. On the last night before he fraud his death, Aizen was especially gentle towards Hinamori. He wanted her to remember the best of him and the last memories that they spent together. Despair will be much more devastating after blissful moments.

12. Of course his sweet vice-captain Hinamori fell for that and lost it when she discovered his dead body being pinned to the wall. And oh, how he loved to hear her shriek that sliced through the quiet morning. It was music played to the exact tune he desired.

13. Hitsugaya was claimed to be a child genius but he had an obvious weak spot – Hinamori. He was no threat to Aizen since Aizen already had Hinamori against him. Emotions often made someone vulnerable and Hitsugaya was no exception from it.

14. Everything went according to his plan except some little surprises such as the ryouka and even captain Unohana. But they didn't deter his plan and he escaped successfully.

15. When his gaze fell to those beneath him as he reached for the sky, he finally broke his glasses and revealed his true self. He smirked. He was the only one who reached the heaven after all and it was just the beginning. He can't wait.

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A/N: Aizen is the hardest one to write so far and I hope it turned out okay. Thanks for reading. 


	4. Byakuya

Standard disclaimer : I do not own Bleach.

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15 Truths About Shinigami

Chapter 4 : Byakuya

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1. On a certain 31st January some thousands years ago, a baby boy was born, much to delight of the entire Kuchiki clan. It was his fate to be born and raised as the 28th heir of the clan, and his destiny to become the strongest clan head ever in the clan's history. It was written in his name, Kuchiki Byakuya. 

2. His parents died when he was very young. He didn't shed a tear during the funeral. It was undignified for the Nobles to openly express their grief or any other emotions. He was taught so and so he never cried. But Byakuya always remembered that it was a rainy day that day. The true reason why he didn't cry was because the sky already cried for him.

3. They taught him everything they deemed necessary: how to act, how to speak, how to fight, how to lead… everything a clan head needed to know, but nobody was there to teach or guide him in how to love as a man. He had everything yet there was an emptiness in his heart until she came into his life. Hisana, a name that changed his life forever.

4. Hisana was everything Byakuya was not yet she was everything he could ever wish for. Nobody understood his choice of marrying this commoner, his clan least of all. He shocked everyone with his resolution to made her his wife and his refusal to settle for anything less. That was the first time he ever went against the rules, but he had no regrets for it was also the first time he was truly happy and content with his life.

5. Fate gave her to him but Death took her away on a spring morning before the Sakura bloomed. Not even him, a death god could stop it. Death is merciless. Her time with him was as short as the Sakura blossom but the memories of her came back to haunt him every spring, long after her death.

6. Byakuya never made a promise lightly; once he made one he meant to keep it no matter what, even if it meant he would have to break the rules once more for her. He had promised her that he would find her younger sister and protect her under his strength. So, in the year following her death when he finally found her sister, he immediately adopted her into his family despite the protests of his clan.

7. For that reason, Byakuya made another promise in his life – he swore on his parents' grave that from that moment, under any circumstances, he would abide by the rules. He seemed to remain stoic and apathetic when he heard of Rukia's execution. But he was far from that in truth. His feelings were carefully masked but not non-existent. He was facing constant struggles and conflicts inside on which promise he should keep, because no matter which promise he chose to keep, he would inevitably break the other one. It was the hardest choice he ever made.

8. Just when he had finally decided he would abide by the laws, his lieutenant Abarai Renji, of all the people, had chosen to defy his decision. Not to mention there were also the ryoukas. Another thing he didn't expect was Renji going as far as using Bankai against him. He won the fight, but Renji's determination had shaken him. Indeed the gap between them was still great, and Renji still had much to learn and close it, but Renji had still managed to prove that though his fangs had yet to bite him, they could touch him. As a sign of his acknowledgement, he left his white scarf behind.

9. At the execution ground, Byakuya didn't glance at Rukia even once. But he knew she was watching him even as she was lifted to the air and the execution began. He knew he had failed both Hisana and her by abiding by the laws. They would never forgive him and he didn't expect them to. That was the price he would pay. But that was not to be. That ryouka, Ichigo saved Rukia this time, along with Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyouraku. He was furious. How dare they ignore the laws? He would not allow it to happen. He would see Rukia's execution through until the end.

10. He fought long and hard with Ichigo. He had to admit that the ryouka boy grew stronger each time they fight. This time he was forced to fight with his full strength and release the final form of his Bankai to gain upper hand. In the end, he was still defeated by that boy. That was when he realized that boy wasn't fighting against him but against the laws and the whole of Soul Society, so much like Kaien, the man he once knew. He had lost.

11. Somewhere in his heart, he suddenly found a new resolution. If this boy couldn't save his sister, he would save her himself. It almost seemed like he was going to break both promises that he had made, but he had made it in time - to save Rukia before it was too late. For that, Byakuya was glad that he lost to Ichigo in their fight because in the end, that boy was right. He didn't need a promise to save Rukia. He was her brother and that reason alone was sufficient to save her. It was as simple as that. He was just too blind to see it before.

12. It was amazing what one would say or do when one thought he was going to die. The words one would say at this last moment of life are probably the truest. He finally had the courage to tell Rukia the secret that he had kept from her all these years. "I'm sorry." he apologized, but Rukia only held his hands quietly. She was telling him in her own way that if there was anything to forgive at all, she had already forgiven him.

13. Even then, there were still other things that Byakuya hadn't told Rukia. For example, he hadn't told her he could never look her directly in the eye because of her great resemblance of his beloved wife, Hisana. He didn't want her to see the sorrow and agony in his eyes when their eyes met. Therefore he always kept his distance, watching and protecting her from a distance. What he didn't foresee was the distance he kept to keep her safe had hurt her in more ways than he thought.

14. During his unconsciousness, Byakuya saw Hisana again. It felt so real that he felt like he could almost reach out and touch her. He had missed her and her touch so much. He didn't even care if he was dead. All he had ever wanted was nothing more but to stay with her. But she smiled and shook her head. She murmured before darkness took him again, "Live, Byakuya-sama. They need you."

15. Later when Byakuya was healed and rested in the Fourth Division's hospital, he began to contemplate about everything that had happened. In the end, nothing went like what he had expected, but it didn't seem to matter any more. Some things were more important than that. Everyone was alive. Rukia and Renji forgave him. Maybe, it was also time that he forgave who he considered the biggest transgressor: himself.

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A/N: Wow, I finally get to write him, Byakuya! Most of the events here are canon although I interpret it in my own way. Anyway, hope you'll enjoy reading. Thanks. 


	5. Komamura

Standard disclaimer : I do not own Bleach.

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15 Truths About Shinigami

Chapter 5 : Komamura

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1. Komamura had been a Maned Wolf in his past life. One day while trying to catch a hare, hunters found him. He fled at once but it was too late. He caught an arrow in his abdomen and he later died bleeding from the wound. He never did understand why they had to do that to him. He was only trying to get himself some food. He did them no harm. 

2. Then he came to Soul Society. He was wary of other, human souls and therefore he opted to live alone in the heart of the forest where he was most at home. He grew bigger and wiser as the years went by. In his pastime, he would observed in the distance how the human souls lived and slowly began to pick up things – human speech, clothing to keep himself warm, how to build himself betters shelters, etc.

3. However, his peaceful life in the forest didn't last. Rumours that there was a gigantic, talking fox (or wolf) living in the forest began to spread when some human souls happened to stumble across his house while seeking shelter from the storm one night. He had come back to discover strangers in his house. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?" he merely asked. But those poor souls instantly went pale and stumbled over each other as they were desperately trying to flee at the "freaking sight of a freaking gigantic fox or wolf who freaking talked." (Those stupid people couldn't differentiate which is which because wolves and foxes look the same to them.)

4. Soon, the rumours turned more and more exaggerated (some even said that the gigantic wolf or fox had threatened to eat them). The human souls from the village decided to gather their weaponry and go back to the forest, determined to eliminate the threat. He was outnumbered greatly by the enraged villagers and he was positive that he would have been killed if someone hadn't come to his rescue. In the end, he had survived. Someone had come to save him. That someone was none other than Yamamoto.

5. Yamamoto not only saved him from the villagers, he had even listened to Komamura's reasoning and had taken him under his wing. That was the first time someone had actually showed him kindness and justice. All his life, he had been mistreated with discrimination and prejudice. From that moment onwards, Komamura swore his loyalty to that man. Yamamoto was his justice and he would follow unquestionably whatever path Yamamoto led.

6. He was now safe under Yamamoto's protection and no one dared to lay a finger on him. But living needs a purpose and Yamamoto had given him the purpose – live to fight for the justice. He soon entered the Shinigami Academy after he discovered he had spiritual pressure. More importantly, he realized that by becoming a shinigami, he had the power to stop the evil and to protect the innocents.

7. To avoid further unwanted attentions in the Academy, which his intimidating build unfortunately contributed to, he started wearing long sleeves, gloves and cloth headwear to hide his true appearance. He even hid his presence if possible. He studied and trained hard to become one of the best students in his year. But he was always alone and he had kept everyone else at an arm's length. He didn't need company or pity in order to become strong. Or so he thought.

8. That was until one fateful day, when he made his very first friend when he met Tousen. It was an ordinary afternoon. He was merely sitting and enjoying a solitary moment as he took off his headwear for once. Then the other boy came. He had hidden his presence well but he was still a little surprised that the boy took no notice of him at all. He had kept quiet and watched the boy practicing with his wooden sword. It was only when the boy thought he had hit him and apologized to him that he realized why - the boy was blind. He had no idea at that time that this boy would eventually become his closest friend, only to betray him in the end.

9. At first, Komamura kept a secret from Tousen what he really looked like. Tousen never asked either. But Tousen could sense that he looked different from others from the very beginning. One day he said, "My friend, you don't have to hide yourself around me. I can't see you but I'm not blind." Komamura was both shocked and touched to hear his friend wise words and he had come to respect his blind friend even more ever since.

10. Komamura was quickly drawn to Tousen, not only because Tousen would never judge him based on his appearance, but also because Tousen seemed to understand his loneliness and respect their differences. Like him, Tousen was an outcast. Unlike him, Tousen believes strongly in his own justice – he walked the path of least blood while Komamura believed strongly in Yamamoto's justice. Nonetheless their opinion of justice was similar enough to be their common ground and the foundation of their friendship. At least that was what Komamura had liked to believe.

11. They had entered Gotei 13 together after graduation, determined to get stronger to stand up for the justice that they believed in. But they eventually went separate ways in Gotei 13 as they entered different divisions – Tousen entered Fifth Division and Komamura entered First Division. But every once a year, they would meet at the grave of Tousen's friend on the anniversary of the day that she passed away. Komamura would stand quietly beside Tousen and let his friend grieve. They seldom spoke but they took comfort in each other's quiet presence. While most friendship was expressed through words and vocal communication, theirs was expressed through gesture and tacit understanding.

12. Years, decades went by; everything remained pretty much the same in Soul Society except they had both become captains in their respective division. But Komamura had failed to pick up the subtle changes in his friend that indicated something was amiss with his friend. Of course that was mainly because he was under the Aizen's complete hypnosis. But it was also because he trusted his friend too much to suspect anything. "Keep your friend close, but keep your enemy closer." This saying couldn't rings truer in the case of Komamura when he became the victim of such a betrayal.

13. It all began with the sudden news of Kuchiki Rukia's execution. Komamura had had some reservations about this execution but he had kept his thoughts to himself. He had met Rukia once or twice before and he had an impression of her as a kind and compassionate girl who wouldn't harm others. It was true that she had committed a serious crime, but he doubted that her sentence was equivalent to her crime. He reminisced about the injustice people had dealt him in the past and how he'd become who he was in the present. But he finally decided that he would follow Yamamoto's decision out of his deep gratitude for the captain.

14. When Komamura finally found out of about the betrayal of the three captains, he was in utter disbelief and fury. He demanded answers from Tousen but Tousen had only answered him that he had chosen the path of least blood that was reflected in his eyes. That was when Komamura finally realized his friend was blinder than he ever thought. That was why the one whom he had the hardest time forgiving was Tousen.

15. During the week after Aizen's betrayal, Komamura questioned himself over and over again about what, when and why it had gone wrong in the first place. Finding no satisfactory answer for it, he went to visit the grave of Tousen's friend again. This time Tousen was no longer by his side. Instead Tousen's vice captain, Hisagi had come in his place. Komamura finally found a new resolution: he would open Tousen's eyes by his own hands one day. He promised he would bring back the Tousen that he once knew - it was a lifetime promise.

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A/N: Truth (1) was based on what I found on the Wikipedia. It's quite hard to write about him since we know little of him. I only managed to speculate his past with Yamamoto and especially Tousen. But I hope I do him justice. ) 

Next update: Captain Shunsui!


	6. Shunsui

Standard disclaimer : I do not own Bleach.

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15 Truths About Shinigami

Chapter 6 : Shunsui

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1. Shunsui never goes by what's in textbooks. Textbooks are too boring and his life is too interesting. To him, a person should live his life not by following what is already written in other books, but by making sure his own will be worth writing about.

2. While others avoid laziness, Shunsui embraces it because he knows being able to be lazy is good in a way. It means they're peaceful at times.

3. Shunsui always held a fascination with sakura blossoms. Those little pink flowers are short-lived yet they return every spring without fail. This true beauty of mortality captures his heart. It gives him something to look forward to in his long immortal life.

4. That is why he wears pink everyday. So that it'll be a gentle reminder to himself and others during wintertime that no matter how long and cold the winter is, spring will always come.

5. Shunsui has a penchant for women and he isn't ashamed to flaunt it. Beautiful things are meant to be appreciated. He believes that Kami-sama created women for that reason. And he likes to believe that Kami-sama granted him his sweet Nanao-chan as his vice captain for that same reason. Sadly his sweet Nanao-chan doesn't appreciate his efforts in showing her his appreciation for her.

6. In Shunsui's opinion, Kami-sama's greatest creation next to women has to be sake. Sake is a man's best friend. Many things in life tend to deteriorate with each passing year. Sake is the one exception; the passing years make him appreciate it all the more.

7. Shunsui is the only one who can get away with calling Yamamoto "Yamaji" so far. He has called Yamamoto that name since the very first time he met the headmaster (in his office as punishment for slacking in the class). Yamamoto had raised his long, white brow at his student's outrageous familiarity, but he only punishment he dealt to Shunsui was to clean up the school compound for a week. Shunsui never found out why Yamamoto let him get away that easily but he guesses, in any case, that he is lucky. Perhaps even the most powerful people need to be treated like average people once in awhile.

8. Despite his flamboyance, Shunsui knows better than most people about where and when to draw the line. He flirts and teases his Nanao-chan all the time, but he'll never ever touch her in ways she doesn't want him to. He can drink any time any day but he never drinks to forget or to avoid problems.

9. Shunsui is friendly towards everyone but few can see pass his lazy and flamboyant exterior to know him better. Jyuushirou a rare person who doesn't judge him and knows him just as Shunsui. Therefore Shunsui cherishes their friendship immensely.

10. Shunsui is the only wielder of twin blades in entire Soul Society besides captain Jyuushirou. It resembles their pact: that they'll always stand by each other's side and none will be left alone no matter what.

11. Shunsui always prevents Nanao from fighting in a real battle, not because he doubts her capability, but because he never wants blood to taint her hands. He knows once blood taints a pair of hands, it'll always remain there no matter how hard one tries to wash it off. It is something he hopes that his Nanao-chan will never have to deal with. Because of that, he stopped Nanao from killing Sado.

12. Shunsui detests nothing more than bloodshed himself and he does his best to avoid it whenever he can. However if it is inevitable, he'll end it quickly with the least pain and the least bloodshed possible. That is why he merely dodged all of Sado's attacks at first and wounded him only reluctantly when Sado continued to come at him.

13. Shunsui had already made up his mind by the time Nanao found him on the rooftop the day of Kuchiki Rukia's execution. He was aware of the consequences of his actions but he did it anyway for the justice that he believed in and for his friend. He knew the other would do the same for him.

14. He hadn't released the shikai form of his zanpakutou for a long, long time. It was almost nostalgic for him to fight with his best friend, Jyuushirou by his side like that. But he had underestimated Yamaji's rage this time. Shunsui could already sense that the peaceful days of Soul Society were ending during his fight with Yamamoto. His foresight was later confirmed by the revelation of Aizen's betrayal.

15. The night afterward he had lain on the rooftop and was indulging in sake as usual when Nanao sought him out. "Taichou, what are we going to do now?" she asked. "How about you drink sake with me?" he winked. "Taichou…" she frowned. He sighed and asked, "I never let you down before, have I?" "No." "Then there's nothing to worry about, my Nanao-chan." And that is that.


	7. Tousen

Standard disclaimer : I do not own Bleach.

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15 Truths About Shinigami

Chapter 7 : Tousen

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1. Tousen never once considered himself blind. Blindness is refusing to see things as they are and Tousen knows too well that this has nothing to do with sight. Sight can be deceiving.

2. He is a man of few words; sometimes he is so quiet that others begin to wonder if he is mute as well. He only says what is necessary because he sees no point in talking for the sake of talking.

3. The only time that he ever felt peaceful was with her, a shinigami woman whose face he doesn't even know. It doesn't matter. He knew her soothing voice, her kind words and her gentle touches by heart.

4. Tousen had learnt quickly that peace is a fragile thing, as fragile as her. His eyes burnt when he heard the news of her death — but he hadn't cried. _Where is justice?_ He thought bitterly. _If there is none, I will become justice itself. _That was his resolution.

5. Grief drove him to walk the path that she once walked – becoming a shinigami. He wanted to believe in the justice she believed in so much that it hurt. It hurt because the justice she believed in doesn't exist; she wouldn't have died if it did.

6. Tousen will always remember the day she died because that day he died with her. Every year, he goes back to her grave on the anniversary of her death. It is the only day in the year that he let himself mourn. The tombstone marked the end of the peaceful days as he continues to walk his path, cold and alone.

7. Years passed and he was no longer alone when he visited her grave. He had a new companion, Komamura, a person that was the closest thing to a friend he had. Would his friend ever understand how deep his grief runs? He didn't think he would. It was a burden that he alone could shoulder.

8. Everyone has a secret and Tousen knew Komamura was hiding something from him, from everyone. He doesn't need to see to know. So he said to Komamura, "My friend, you don't have to hide yourself around me. I can't see you but I'm not blind." From that day onwards, Komamura hid no secrets from him. Sometimes he had wished he could have done the same for his friend.

9. Tousen was sure he wasn't hiding anything; he was merely not revealing everything. His secret that he had yet to reveal was that he was Aizen's underling. _The time will come. Just not yet._

10. The reason why he had chosen to follow Aizen was that Aizen was the man who made him see his own limitation. And he had showed him a way to break that limitation and create a new world with it – a world of absolute justice.

11. Tousen believes deeply that eternal peace cannot be attained without absolute justice. He won't rest in peace until then. The path he walks is justice, even it means blood will shed and unworthy people will die.

12. Tousen is afraid of death. He is more afraid of not being able to do what he has set to do because of death rather than of death itself. Being a death god doesn't means he is immune to death. The irony of it makes him feels uneasey.

13. On the day of Kuchiki Rukia's execution, Tousen sought out Komamura's company once more for the last time. It was his way of saying farewell although his friend had yet to realize it.

14. Tousen released his bankai on Kenpachi on that fateful day. He had detested that man since the very beginning. That man was evil, insane and extremely dangerous. He was a threat to peace that had to be eliminated. But he failed to eliminate him because that man was fearless. He cannot win against someone who is fearless even of death.

15. Tousen had heard Komamura roar at him furiously from the ground as he rose to "heaven". He hadn't considered it as a betrayal. It was merely a revelation. His biggest secret was revealed at last. The time had finally come.

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A/N: Comments are always welcomed. Thanks for reading. 


	8. Toushiro

Standard disclaimer : I do not own Bleach.

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15 Truths About Shinigami

Chapter 8 : Toushiro

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1. Only one person in the entire universe can get away unscathed for calling him "Shiro-chan". That is because he is the only person in the entire universe who gets to call her "Bed-wetter Momo" in return.

2. He is absolutely NOT cute. He hates being called cute. He hates all things that are cute. The word "cute" is so NOT cute. Do not use that word in front of him if you don't want to be freeze to death. Period.

3. He is NOT short. He just has plenty of room to grow taller, that's all. According to Hitsugaya, height should be measured from the tip of his hair to the bottom of his sandals. Anyone who argues that he is wrong can go to hell.

4. He is NOT a brat or kid or anything equivalent to that. He is at least one hundred years old, for God's sake. He is an old soul trapped inside a boy's body. It is a curse. He swears.

5. Contrary to popular belief, he is NOT in love with Hinamori. Yes, he cares for her a little. Okay, maybe he cares for her a great deal. But that doesn't mean he's infatuated with her. That is like committing incest which is disgusting.

6. Toushiro didn't really like Rangiku in the first place. She called him brat, has a penchant to squash his face to her ample boobs and then tells him he is cute when his face is all red (which he insists is due to lack of air). But she is the first person to recognize his potential as a shinigami and the first person to acknowledge him as Captain Hitsugaya. So he is willing to let it slide.

7. Yachiru is one of the few people who aren't deterred by his cold attitude. But then again, she is also one of the few people who aren't intimidated by Zaraki Kenpachi. One day, when she suddenly appeared on his shoulder and decided that she wanted a ride on his ice dragon, he ignored her blatantly. But when she wouldn't budge from his shoulder and kept chanting "please-please-please-please…" for hours, he finally relented.

8. To his horror, Yachiru managed to rip off one of Hyorinmaru's horn with her bare hands. When he complained it to the eleventh division's captain, Zaraki simply retorted, "Oh yea, try dealing it for the past fucking decades. Then ya can bitch to me bout it. Now fuck off, asshole." From that day onwards, Toushiro learned to stay away from the eleventh division, especially their pink-haired menace.

9. The day when Hinamori stopped calling him "Shiro-chan" and turned her sword against him was the coldest night in Toushiro's life although winter was still months away. After the ordeal, he took out the letters that Hinamori wrote to him all those years ago before he entered Seiretei and read them one last time. Then he buried the letters where no one else would find it.

10. Toushiro never really like the third division's captain. So he wasn't all that surprised when Gin turned out to be a traitor to Soul Society. He was just surprised that Rangiku handled Gin's betrayal rather well, too well in his opinion. When he found Rangiku drinking sake alone on a roof, he sat down besides her. She offered him her sake. He took a sip and grimaced at its bitter taste. "How do you drink this?" She laughed and answered, "It tastes better with each sip." Toushiro said nothing and took another sip. He knew that the sake doesn't taste better with each sip. It's just that people care less about how it tastes with each sip.

11. People called him genius. Being a genius supposed to mean that he is always ten steps ahead of others. Yet when it comes to Aizen, Toushiro can't help but feels that he's always one step behind. He failed to see through Aizen's deceit until it was too late. What made it worse was that he failed to protect Hinamori from Aizen.

12. The only thing that made his stay in the mortal world bearable was that he found out that they have watermelon flavoured ice-cream there. He finished one whole tube of watermelon flavoured ice cream by himself on Inoue's rooftop. And he sneaked three tubes of those back to Soul Society.

13. Outraged is an understatement when Toushiro walked into his office and found his lieutenant eating **his** watermelon flavoured ice cream. "Mmn, where did you get this, captain? It's delicious." She asked unwittingly. When the temperature in the room suddenly dropped to sub-zero, Rangiku quickly made her escape through the window. "Sorry, captain!" she yelled. When she came back to the office later, she found one week worth of paperwork on her desk.

14. Before Toushiro went to fight Aizen and his minions, he visited his grandmother's grave in Rukongai. He apologized for not visiting her often. He never believed in prayers but he prayed anyway. He prayed that Hinamori would recover from coma and resumes her old self again. His prayer was somewhat answered when General Captain Yamamoto informed him that Hinamori was awake and she wished to speak to him. However to his disappointment, Hinamori still thought that Aizen was innocent.

15. Later, in his blinding rage, he mistook Hinamori for Aizen and stabbed her from behind. It felt as if he was the one being stabbed instead as she asked him, "Shiro-chan...Why?" He has failed to protect her again. That was when Toushiro resolved to get stronger. Next time, he will definitely protect her no matter what.

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A/N: Sorry for not updating in a long time. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. I have some fun including Yachiru in this chapter. I think it's quite apparent that I don't really like Hinamori's character, apologies to those who like Hitsugaya x Hinamori pairing, you won't find it here.


	9. Zaraki

Standard disclaimer : I do not own Bleach.

If you haven't read any bleach fanfic written by peroxidepest17, you definitely should. She writes the most awesome eleventh division fanfic EVER. She completely nails Zaraki and Yachiru. In short, she rocks.

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15 Truths About Shinigami

Chapter 9 : Zaraki

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1. Zaraki has simple solutions for everything. If he doesn't have a name, he'll give himself a name. If he is nobody, he'll make himself somebody. If someone stands in his way, he'll cut them down. If anyone cut him, he'll cut them back.

2. In his dark days in Rukongai, Zaraki met a remarkable girl. She had a gaping hole in her chest when he found her. She was attacked by a hollow. He finished off that hollow but he left her to die, to bleed out in the woods. Yet she somehow survived like a stubborn weed. Later, she had a chance to kill him but she didn't. When he asked her why she didn't kill him when she could, she gave him an incredulous look and scoffed, "If you want to die so much, kill yourself. I don't do charity like that." Zaraki doesn't even remember her face after they parted. But he remembers her name is Yachi-something.

3. If Zaraki knew how difficult it was to get milk in Rukongai, he wouldn't have bothered to pick up a toddler at all. Fortunately, the toddler he named Yachiru wasn't picky with what she eats. Most of the time, she clung to his back and he wouldn't even notice she was there unless she was hungry or needed a diaper change.

4. It was laughably easy to finish off the former eleventh division's captain who held the title of Kenpachi. Yachiru was the one who clapped and cheered for his victory as the others looked on in horror and shock. When Yachiru pointed at the fukutaichou badge because she thought it looked shiny and pretty, "Ken-chan, I want that." "Che, go get it ya'self!" She did exactly that. No further questions were asked as she knocked out several shinigami who tried to stop her by the sheer pressure of her pink reiatsu.

5. Zaraki never expected that dealing with paperwork was part of a captain's responsibilities. He thought it was all about fighting and killing strong opponents. Fortunately, the magic word "delegation" exists or else he would have to burn all the paperwork. That would be quite a spectacular view.

6. Many speculate the reason why he wears the tiny bells at the tip of his hair. Their speculations range from terrible fashion sense, as a handicap to prolong a fight to warning weaklings to get out of his way. They are not entirely wrong. But no one is brave or stupid enough to ask Zaraki directly to prove their theories. Yachiru is just content that even in the dark, the chime of the bells always guides her back to Ken-chan.

7. Zaraki used to spend hours attaching bells to the tips of his hair because the highest bell is just beyond his reach, much to his frustration. Ikkaku merely scratched his bald head and blurted, "Erm, captain, won't it be easier to tie those bells before you style your hair?" Not long after that, Ikkaku got promoted to third seat.

8. Zaraki rarely plays tag with Yachiru and the rest of eleventh division because he finds the game boring. But when he does (after Yachiru somehow harassed him into it), it usually ends up bloody. Yachiru had the time of her life because playing tag with Ken-chan is the best. So far only Yachiru is able to remain unscathed at the end of the game. Yumichika usually acts as a cheer-leader at the side, so he doesn't count (he is smart enough to side-step out of his captain's way every time).

9. It is no secret that Zaraki's sense of direction is bad and that Yachiru's is just as bad. It's confounding to many as to why Zaraki always ask direction from Yachiru although Yachiru always leads him to the wrong way. But as long as Zaraki reaches his destination, he is happy. As long as Ken-chan is happy, Yachiru is happy too. As long as Yachiru is happy, everyone else is happy.

10. Surprisingly, Zaraki has quite a fan base among shinigami women. "That eye-patch is hot!" "His rugged look is so manly!" His popularity soared after Yachiru claimed that Ken-chan once saved a rabbit from a hungry wolf. "Oh, that's so sweet. He even loves small animals." The women exclaimed excitedly. Yachiru however forgot to mention that the said rabbit mysteriously vanished later and they had a yummy _chicken_ broth for dinner that day.

11. Zaraki has never lost a battle to anyone, until Ichigo. While Zaraki passed out from injury, a man in ragged clothes appeared in his dream. The man mumbled something but he could hear no voice from that man. The man shook his head and vanished before Zaraki could catch him. When Zaraki finally regained his consciousness, he grinned as he grabbed his zanpakuto, "I knew it was you." He still doesn't know his zanpakuto's name but it was a start. They will grow stronger together. That was the pact he made with his nameless zanpakuto.

12. Tousen once commented that Zaraki was a monster of destruction. He was only half right. No one in the eleventh division bothered to point out to Tousen that every one of them is willing to die for this monster. Later after the ninth division had their asses completely whipped by the eleventh division, including Tousen himself, the eleventh division was just glad that their captain was a monster instead of a traitor.

13. Yachiru seems to have a crush on Byakuya and Zaraki doesn't like it. He is positive that the Kuchiki heir is a gay (what kind of guy has silky hair and wears hair rolls, seriously?). When he had the chance to fight the sixth division captain, he jumped on it. Later, when Yachiru asked him how the battle was, Zaraki grunted, "It's fine." "Yay, I'm gonna tell Byakushi Ken-chan had fun!" Yachiru bounced off his back and scurried towards the Kuchiki mansion. Zaraki merely thought what a pain in the ass she is.

14. Zaraki isn't the brightest man in Soul Society but he knows a coward when he encounters one. And no man in his division is a coward. After the Winter War ended, he sat and drank with his subordinates. There were a few empty seats in the hall but sake was poured to those cups to acknowledge them all the same. Everyone joked and laughed and celebrated life because those who had gone ahead had no regrets.

15. Someday, Zaraki is sure that Yachiru will grow boobies and all the guys will be crazy over her. When that happens, he is going to make sure no male except gay ever get near her in a ten miles radius. Or else, he will mince their meat then bake them into meat pies for snacks and uses their bones as toothpicks. For now, he is content to sharpen his butcher knife just in case.

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OMAKE:

According to Zaraki, Yamamoto is a grump, Soi Fong is a bitch, Gin is a snake, Retsu is a hag, Aizen is a hypocrite, Byakuya is a prude, Sajin is a fur-ball, Shunsui is a drunk, Tousen is a bore, Toushiro is a brat, Mayuri is a creep and Jyushiro is a wimp.

"So what are you, captain?"

"Me? I'm Kick-ass."

That answers everything.

OWARI

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A/N: I had fun writing this chapter. A special omake is dedicated to this kick-ass captain.


	10. Mayuri

Standard disclaimer : I do not own Bleach.

* * *

15 Truths About Shinigami

Chapter 10 : Mayuri

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1. Mayuri dislikes his true face despite having a handsome face. He paints his face every day and he only removes the painting before going to bed at night. Few people have seen his true face in a century and he prefers it that way.

2. Mayuri dislikes his original body too. It was too weak, too susceptible to injury and not durable enough to his liking. He prefers his current body much better.

3. Years spent in the Maggot's Nest had been nothing but wasted years. Mayuri has never feel remorse over what he did that landed him there in the first place. He killed some fellow shinigami who were dispensable. It was their own fault that they got into his way during an experiment. They ruined his experiment. He made them paid with their life in return. He didn't understand - why should he got punished for that?

4. Mayuri once created a Gigai that would self-destruct and released poisonous gas. During a demonstration, it popped and released love-shaped confetti instead. Kisuke congratulated him for his outstanding work and winked. Mayuri was so mortified that he nearly shoved all the confetti down his captain's throat if the captains from other divisions hadn't interfered.

5. Mayuri was baffled as to why people often label him as being insane. They should really see the man who talks to a black cat. Now THAT is insane.

6. Mayuri hated to bicker with Hiyori. It was a waste of his time and energy. She often tried to kick his face or his crotch whenever she couldn't win against him in a bicker. And she had the nerve to berate him for being ungentlemanly when he did the same.

7. On the night that Hiyori disappeared, there was a meteor in the sky. Mayuri recalled the superstition about making a wish upon a shooting star. He never believed it but he muttered anyway, "I wish Hiyori never comes back." His wish came true the next day.

8. At the ceremony that celebrate Mayuri's promotion to captain, everyone gawked at his new 'look'. Yachiru aptly called him 'bozo face'. Zaraki laughed and agreed. When Mayuri released his bankai, everyone ran for cover except Zaraki. No one dared to ask what happened afterwards because every time the subject was brought up, Zaraki laughed so hard that he choked on his own spit.

9. Mayuri created Nemu because he wanted someone who obeys him unconditionally and someone who will never defy him no matter what. Asides from that, he was also a little lonely after Kisuke and Hiyori were gone, although he would never admit it.

10. The first time Nemu opened her eyes and called him 'father', Mayuri jabbed her arm with a needle and ticked the first item on his long list of experiments. She still had a long way to go.

11. Halloween's Day is the day that Mayuri dreaded most because Yachiru would seek him out for 'trick or treat' every year. No matter where he hid, she always found him. He tried giving her poison candies before but nothing happened. Unbeknown to him, Nemu had secretly swapped the poison candies with chocolate candies.

12. After the Quincy massacre, _that man_ was the only Quincy who didn't scream when Mayuri experimented on him. He merely stared back defiantly at Mayuri and vowed on his Quincy pride that he would avenge for his kin one day. Later, that man managed to escape from his lab and no one heard or saw him since.

13. The sympathetic way that the last Quincy, Ishida Uryuu looked at his daughter infuriated him to no end. After the Quincy dealt him an almost fatal wound, Mayuri retreated in liquid form. He made a mental note to punish Nemu more than usual. When he finally gets his hands on that Ryoka girl, he is going to make the last Quincy watches as he experiments on the girl until the boy throws away his Quincy pride and begs him to stop. Even then, he will not stop.

14. The winter war ended much sooner than Mayuri expected. He was actually more interested in collecting specimens in Hueco Mondo than fighting the war. But he was proud to say that the fake Karakura town was one of his best work to-date.

15. When more and more Hollows keep disappearing, Mayuri knows who the culprit is. _That man_ has finally returned and another war has begun. He curses that damned Quincy pride. Don't they get it? They are nothing but relic. He was done with them years ago. It's time to move on, seriously.

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A/N: I'm not really fond of Mayuri but I hope I do him justice. As usual, reviews are much appreciated. Thank you.


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